Burrows stated that one of the biggest laughs he’s ever seen on television occurred when he was directing Friends:

Watch James Burrows’ full interview here to hear his tales of Taxi, Cheers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and other TV favorites.

About this interview:

In his three-and-a-half hour Archive interview, James Burrows discusses his early years working as a stage manger under his father, playwright/director Abe Burrows, and outlines his years directing for the stage in regional theater. He recalls his break into television directing, working at MTM Productions on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and describes directing Fay, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, and Phyllis. He details working with the cast and creative team behind Taxi, and directing the majority of the series’ episodes. Burrows chronicles the eleven-year run of Cheers, which he co-created with Glen & Les Charles, and for which he directed nearly every episode. As one of the pre-eminent directors of sitcom pilots, Burrows shares what he looks for in selecting a pilot and explains what drew him to directing the pilot episodes of Night Court, NewsRadio, and 3rd Rock From the Sun. He talks of working on the early seasons of Frasier, Friends, and Caroline in the City, and speaks of the joy of being the sole director of the hit series, Will & Grace. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on December 17, 2003 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted “Funnybone of the ’80s” last night with the cast and creators of some of the great sitcoms of the 1980s— Cheers, Designing Women, Murphy Brown, and Night Court.

The Archive spoke to a few of the guests on the press line, including cast members Ted Danson (Cheers), Kelsey Grammer (Cheers), Joe Regalbuto (Murphy Brown), and Charles Robinson (Night Court).

Interview description:The writing-partner brothers talked about their early years growing up near Las Vegas, Nevada and their decision in the mid-70s to try their hand at freelance writing for television. They talked about selling their first script (to M*A*S*H) and their break into staff writing at MTM Productions where they worked as writer-producers on Phyllis and the final season of The Bob Newhart Show. They talked about other writing assignments on such series as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Betty White Show. They detailed working with the cast and crew on the hit series Taxi, for which they produced (and wrote for) the ABC run [the show would run a final season on NBC]. The two chronicled their creation (with James Burrows) of the series Cheers for which they served as producers and later executive producers during the show’s entire eleven year run. The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on December 8, 2003.

Will & Grace (& Jack & Karen) are throwing their last barb/insult/witticism/pie-in-the-face this week. Not only will fans miss the talented ensemble (all four of whom won Emmy Awards), but also the guest shots by “it” list celebrities that together resemble a merger of Elton John’s and Vanity Fair’s Oscar parties.

Amazingly, every one of the nearly 200 “Will & Grace” episodes were directed by one person — legendary sitcom creator/director James Burrows. Burrows was interviewed by the Archive of American Television and talked about his experiences directing “Will & Grace” as well as such career highlights as “Taxi,” “Cheers,” and “Friends.”